Midnight Meetings
by Yuaki1707
Summary: No one knew about their secret meetings at midnight. No one knew that they secretly liked each other's company and enjoyed talking to each other. The hardest part, however, was keeping their meetings secret. SinJu SinbadxJudal Shounen-Ai


Midnight Meetings

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MAGI AND THE COVER IMAGE!**

No one knew about their secret meetings at midnight. No one knew that they secretly liked each other's company and enjoyed talking to each other. The hardest part, however, was keeping their meetings secret. Being a magi and a king, people constantly watched them and it was hard to escape from all the curious pairs of eyes that followed their every step.

Judal had often wondered what it would be like to be Sindria's magi. Unfortunately, the ties he had with Al Thamen made things hard and he detested the way he was being used. When he had told Sinbad about his childhood, he had seen the sincerity in the king's eyes. The magi knew that he would be in good hands and treated like royalty if he could join Sinbad. Yet, the simple but heart-breaking fact was that he couldn't. He was bound to Al Thamen and he couldn't escape; at least not forever.

The secret meetings with the king reminded Judal that someone cared; that someone saw him as more than just a magi or puppet. He felt safe around Sinbad and trusted him the most; actually, Sinbad was the only person he trusted. When Sindria had won the war, he had felt relieved, knowing that Sinbad was safe. Although Sindria was throwing a grand celebration due to their victory, the dark magi was sure that the king would find time to sneak away from the festivities to have their secret meeting.

The magi stayed high in the sky, blending in well with the black of night. He watched people dancing and enjoying the food that had been offered to everyone. He glanced at Sinbad and saw him talking with the other magi, Aladdin. Their conversation was finished quite quickly and when Sinbad had left the table, Judal followed the king, silently flying through the air. When Judal noticed the direction that Sinbad was walking in, he let a small smile grace his lips; he was heading towards their secret meeting place.

Sindria was a beautiful place, with the palace being the main attraction. Behind the palace, a beautiful garden was situated. There were a few benches placed around the garden, allowing Sinbad to sit there and admire the view. Judal started flying ahead, wanting to beat the king to the garden, when he heard footsteps. Normally he would keep going, having heard Sinbad's footsteps as he climbed the stairs. However, normally there would only be one pair of footsteps. Judal turned around, staying hidden in the night sky and watching the two people below with crimson orbs.

Like he had suspected, one of the people was the king of Sindria. The other person was Kyougoku, her face becoming redder with every step that she took up the stairs. Her eyes stared at the back of Sinbad and the magi could tell that she was trying to control herself from hugging and kissing the man in front of her. Judal bit his tongue, trying to stop a growl of possessiveness that would alert the two royalties below him of his presence.

Sinbad shamelessly flirted with the princess, charming her with his smile and sweet words. Judal watched as Kyougoku blushed even further, the king's words affecting her immensely. The magi couldn't take the pain of his currently aching heart. He had trusted Sinbad and felt safe with the man below, but he was only another toy for the king. Sinbad had only used Judal and when the king got bored of the magi, he decided to find himself a new toy; the princess from the Kou Empire.

He could feel tears threatening to fall and whimpers of hurt trying to escape from his lips. The dark magi quickly flew back to the direction he came from, not being able to stand seeing his love flirt with someone else. He had never told anyone of his love towards the king, scared of what people would think; especially Sinbad. The raven head had no idea if the dungeon conqueror actually preferred males to females. Even if Sinbad liked men, there was almost no chance that Judal's feelings would be reciprocated. The king had so many choices for possible partners and the magi wouldn't be one of them. The rivalry between Sindria and the Kou Empire made it almost impossible for a chance for the two acquaintances to even think about loving each other. There would be feelings of disappointment, betrayal and doubt that would rise if the citizens of Sindria and the Kou Empire would find out about these secret meetings and feelings that the magi had for the king; even if they weren't returned.

Crimson eyes stole one last look at his love, only to see Sinbad still smiling and charming the younger girl. The magi quickly turned his head away from the view, making up his mind. Instead of waiting to meet Sinbad tonight like he had originally planned, Judal headed back to the Kou Empire.

Sinbad was worried. He smiled on the outside and ruled Sindria like he usually did, but his mind kept wondering about the dark magi. He hadn't told anyone of their secret meetings and didn't know of anyone that had found out about their little midnight ritual. He loved spending time with Judal, getting to know the boy that was hiding underneath that cold exterior.

It was midnight and time for their secret meeting. After looking around carefully, Sinbad made his way to the palace garden. When he saw the empty bench, with no Judal hovering above it, Sinbad let out a sigh of disappointment. He had expected the magi not to show up; this was the fifth time. The king didn't understand why the teen wouldn't come; didn't Judal look forward to these meetings just as much as he did? Besides, the few times that Judal couldn't come because of Al Thamen or illness, he had always sent a note that would explain his absence.

Sinbad walked back to his room, deciding to do some more paperwork. As much as he hated reading and signing stacks of papers, it needed to be done. More importantly, however, it stopped him thinking about Judal for at least a little while. He hadn't told anyone, but the dungeon conqueror cared for the teen more than he would admit. He should see the magi as an enemy and threat, but he could only see him as Judal; his love interest. There was something about those mysterious crimson eyes and the untold stories of the boy's life that had intrigued Sinbad.

Sinbad sighed, realising that the paperwork hadn't helped at all tonight. He walked away from his desk and got himself ready for bed. As he approached his bed, he saw the closed window and looked at the night sky, hoping to see a familiar figure. Just like the last few times, no shadow of a flying magi could be seen. As always, the king opened the window, hoping that maybe Judal would come during the night and make himself comfortable in the large bed, like he had done before. With that thought, a small smile graced the king's lips before he lay on one half of the bed and fell asleep. Like the previous nights, the dungeon conqueror dreamed of his love: his rare smile, his crimson eyes, his elegant body and those soft pink lips that he wanted to kiss until he was drunken off of the taste of _his_ dark magi.

A few more weeks had passed with no sign of Judal. Ja'far noticed that Sinbad was acting unusual; he did all the paperwork the day it was given to him, attended every meeting, flirted less and kept gazing out a window and wandered the gardens almost every day. Although Ja'far liked this hard working king, the former assassin knew that something must have happened for Sinbad to act this way. He had tried to bring up the subject once or twice, only to be told that everything was fine and that the king had some more paperwork to get to.

Ja'far gazed out of the window, only to see what he expected: Sinbad walking through the gardens with a defeated look on his face. Ja'far had tried to figure out the reason for the king's sad behaviour and narrowed it down to one solution: love. The question was who was Sinbad in love with? The household user had never known Sinbad to have ever been genuinely in love; it was usually just one-night stands with women or flirting with powerful women for their promise of an allegiance.

The former assassin sighed and made his way to the king's office. In his hands, there was a stack of paperwork that the king would need to work through. As the pile was placed onto the desk, Ja'far noticed and unfinished letter on Sinbad's desk. However, what Ja'far found so interesting about it was who the letter was addressed to: _Judal_. The household user quickly glanced at the room, to check that he was still alone. When he was certain that no one would come into the office soon, Ja'far picked up the letter and read its contents.

_Judal,_

_Where have you been? Did you forget? I was expecting a letter, but received nothing of the sort. Have you been hurt? Please, tell me what has happened...was it something that I did? I assure you that I would do nothing to hurt you intentionally; you mean a lot to me, my magi._

No signature was left, but the silver haired man knew why. Before the letter would get to Judal, it could be intercepted and Sinbad didn't want to risk people knowing about his love towards Judal. The letter was also quite vague, trying to conceal the real message that only Judal would understand properly. However, the former assassin already had an idea what the letter was referring to. The king had tried to keep it a secret, but Ja'far had once noticed the man sneaking out and not coming back for a few hours. As much as the former assassin wanted to follow Sinbad, Ja'far knew that this wasn't any of his business; if Sinbad had wanted him to know, then the king would have told him about these secret midnight meetings.

Ja'far placed the letter back on the desk and made his way out of the room. He walked by the same window, only to see Sinbad in the same position as before. He wanted to comfort the man and give him advice, but he knew that he couldn't. If he did, Sinbad would find out that Ja'far knew about the king's love for Judal. It would mean that all the effort in trying to keep the king's feelings a secret had been useless.

The next day, Ja'far walked into the office to drop off some paperwork again. Once all the paper was out of his hands, he looked at the desk, only to be unable to find the letter from yesterday. He quickly checked through the room again, making sure that he was alone. He searched through papers and scrolls, but couldn't find it. There were only two options left: the letter had been sent or it was in the small paper bin. Ja'far lowered himself and kneeled in front of the bin. He immediately noticed a crumpled piece of paper at the top of the pile of overflowing paper. The former assassin unfolded it and quickly noticed that it was the letter from yesterday. However, he noticed that one change had been made; _my magi _was no longer there, but a mess of black that was obviously meant to cover up the two words.

Sinbad was at his limit. He couldn't stand another day of paperwork and aimlessly wandering the gardens for a sign of a pair of crimson orbs. He missed Judal and was ready to travel to the Kou Empire just to see the magi again. The king sighed as he signed another contract; this time it was for an allegiance.

A few minutes later, a knock disturbed the king and the door opened to reveal Ja'far. The former assassin placed a few more papers onto the never-ending pile, making the king sigh in defeat. He looked at the younger man, ready to ask for some assistance, when he noticed the look on the freckled man's face. He was biting his lip and kept glancing at Sinbad and over the desk.

"What is it?" Sinbad could see the other man debating on answering the question, but Sinbad knew he would get an answer. Ja'far was many things and one of them was being loyal to his king.

"Does he know?" Amber eyes narrowed and brows furrowed in confusion. The former assassin usually never spoke so vaguely.

"Who knows what?" Ja'far bit his lip again, a sign that showed Sinbad that the other man was hesitant to continue. When black met amber, Ja'far saw the seriousness in the other's eyes. He knew that he wouldn't get away with leaving this conversation unfinished.

"That you love him." Ja'far willed himself to keep staring at the king's eyes, hoping to see some emotion reflected in them. The dungeon conqueror's face showed surprise and confusion, before it became a glare.

"You better explain yourself right now." The voice was dipped in venom, ready to strike. Ja'far knew that he would be in trouble if he tried to lie to the king.

"You love Judal. I dropped off some paperwork and saw the letter on the desk. You keep walking in the garden and I once saw you sneak out at night, but I didn't follow you because I knew you didn't want me to. That night, you were meeting Judal, weren't you?"

There was silence and Ja'far thought he went too far. He knew that he shouldn't have gotten involved, but he couldn't stand seeing his king so distraught. The household user wanted to exit the room quickly, but he knew that it would probably make things worse. When he heard Sinbad clear his throat, the former assassin carefully glanced at the other man.

"Yes, I did meet him that night, but I've never told him that I'm in love with him." Ja'far was surprised to have received an answer, but quickly soaked up the words that had been spoken.

"You should tell him," the onyx eyed man suggested. His answer was another defeated sigh and lowering of the head.

"I've already thought of that, but there's no use. There's no way he would return my feelings. Even if he did, he's still tied to Al Thamen, while I'm tied to Sindria." Ja'far had seen many sides of his king, but never a broken-hearted and defeated man who couldn't see any hope. The former assassin couldn't stand seeing Sinbad like this.

"You should still tell him. Maybe he does feel the same." Sinbad shook his head again and Ja'far willed himself not to shout at the man before him. He hated seeing the man who saved him being so upset.

"I can't. Even if I wanted to tell him, he hasn't come to the gardens for weeks. It's even more frustrating because I don't know why!" The sudden outburst surprised Ja'far, but he quickly composed himself. Judal could be a bit childish, but considering how much the king and magi seemed to appreciate each other's company, something must have happened for Judal to avoid Sinbad. Also, there had to be some way to get the teenager to visit Sindria again.

A week later, Sinbad was still acting as if he was fine and everything was as usual. Ja'far however saw the quick glances to the window during meetings and the king still walked through the gardens at night, hoping for a certain magi to show. When the crimson eyed teen didn't show again, Sinbad gave a defeated sigh and walked back to his room where he left his window open like always.

The dungeon conqueror woke up the next morning to Ja'far complaining about his punctuality. When the king had gotten ready for the day, the onyx eyed man quickly explained the day's schedule. Sinbad didn't bother listening, considering that Ja'far would tell him about the meetings again when they would arrive.

"And then a high priest will become on behalf of the Kou Empire. Since it will be late at night, they will probably sleep in one of the guest rooms in the palace. Is that alright or would you like them to have a room in a hotel?" Sinbad's attention had been grabbed when the household user had mentioned a high priest. He knew that Ja'far could be manipulative and that he did his work very thoroughly, but even he couldn't manage to...could he?

"This high priest...is Judal, isn't it?" The smaller man gave a quick nod before reminding the king that his previous question hadn't been answered. The former assassin had to hide the smile that threatened to show. Amber eyes finally seemed to have their spark returned to them and the older man could barely contain his excitement. With Judal coming, he finally had a chance to clear things up and possibly tell the magi his true feelings. It was a risk, but having been so close to never seeing the raven head again, Sinbad decided that it would be a risk worth taking. He quickly snapped back to reality when Ja'far asked him the previous question again. Sinbad smiled, telling the younger man that Judal would stay in the palace (preferably in a room close to his own chambers).

Judal had been surprised when he was given the role to represent the Kou Empire in Sindria. Normally the magi would have refused, but this time he wasn't given an option. The crimson eyed teen gazed ahead, seeing the Sindrian castle before him. He quickly landed, waiting for the guards to let him enter. Once he is allowed inside, he is shown to the room of the meeting and he impatiently waited for the other representatives to show up.

Once the meeting was over, the moon had risen and Judal was offered to stay overnight, which he accepted. Although he wanted to leave, flying in the dark was dangerous; something the magi had found out the hard way. The magi entered the room and took in what he saw. Right in front of him stood the bed, with lots of pillows, which Sinbad knew that the teen liked. There was also a wardrobe, a door to the bathroom, a desk and a small bedside table.

Judal immediately headed for the bed, wanting to rest from a long trip of flying and a meeting that had lasted a few hours. The teen lay in the bed, letting his body relax and hoping for sleep to take over soon. As he was about to drift off, a knock on the door caught his attention. He quickly sat up on the bed and told the person beyond the door to come in.

Amber met crimson and the king entered the room, sitting on the bed. The magi stayed quiet, waiting for the other man to say something. He didn't want to be in the same room with Sinbad alone. He didn't want to hear how much the king had liked flirting with Kyougoku and that he liked his new toy better than he had ever liked the dark magi.

"I haven't seen you in a while." Sinbad sighed when he received no response. He knew that Judal was stubborn and he didn't expect it to be easy to convince the other that he cared. "Please tell me what I did wrong."

"Don't act like you care!" The magi shouted furiously. Amber eyes widened in surprise at the sudden outburst. He could hear the pain in the teen's voice; something only few people could notice. The dungeon conqueror had learned a lot about the magi from their meetings.

"I do care. Do you really think I would come here and try to apologise for whatever I did if I didn't care?!" Amber met crimson again and Judal couldn't look away. The seriousness and the kindness portrayed in the king's eyes were meant for the dark magi and no one else. "Please, Judal." The man was close to begging for an answer; he just wanted Judal back in his life. Even if Sinbad never got the chance to confess his love, he just needed the teen's forgiveness.

"I was just another toy to you, wasn't I? You only used me to get information about the Kou Empire and Al Thamen." His gaze shifted downwards, not wanting to see Sinbad when he confirmed the magi's statement.

"Judal, look at me." It wasn't a request, but a command and the magi slowly shifted his eyes to the other man. When Sinbad saw those crimson eyes filled with hurt and pain, he couldn't resist anymore. He leaned in and let his lips connect with the dark magi's. He couldn't suppress a moan of pleasure, knowing this were _Judal_'_s _lips against his. The king wrapped his arms around the teen's waist and pulled him into the dungeon conqueror's lap.

Judal's mind stopped working when those lips met his. They were so soft and moved against his with experience. He felt arms wrap around his waist and being pulled into Sinbad's lap. He felt a tongue asking for permission against his lips and he gladly let the tongue slip past his lips. Their tongues danced and the dark magi moaned as his hands made their way through Sinbad's long locks. When the need to breathe became too much, they pulled away and stared into each other's eyes.

"You are not a toy to me. You never were and never will be." The honesty and sincerity in those amber eyes made the teen believe every word that came out of the king's mouth.

"Then what am I to you?" Curiosity got the better of Judal and he needed to know if Sinbad's feelings were anything like Judal's were. He stared at the man in front of him, waiting for an answer. Judal saw hesitation flicker in those amber eyes before they were replaced by determination.

"You're everything to me. I love you, Judal." Crimson orbs widened in surprise at the sudden confession. The magi smiled before he leaned in and kissed Sinbad. The king immediately returned the kiss, letting his lips move against the magi's again. Judal pulled away, trying to regain his breath.

"I love you," Judal whispered into the king's ear. Sinbad smiled, relieved to hear that his feelings were being returned. However, his good mood was immediately crushed when he remembered his conversation with Ja'far. He was bound to Sindria like Judal was bound to Al Thamen. How could they be together?

Judal quickly noticed the change in the man's attitude and asked what was wrong. The sadness in those eyes was obvious and the magiwas getting worried. "I love you so much, but how can we be together when you can't get away from Al Thamen and I am the King of Sindria?"

The magi didn't want to hear those words. He knew it was true, but he didn't want to give up on Sinbad. He finally found someone who actually cared about him and now he would lose his lover. "Please don't leave me. There has to be some way for us to stay together!" Judal was desperate and he wasn't ready to lose the one person he loved.

"I won't leave you. There is a way, if you would be alright with it." The magi nodded, willing to do anything for them to stay together. "We keep meeting in secret." Judal let the statement go through his head, slowly thinking about what the king had suggested. Although he didn't like having to hide their relationship, it was better than having no relationship at all.

"Alright. Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course." The magi wriggled out of the king's grasp and made himself comfortable on one half of the bed. The king quickly removed some layers of his clothing before he lay next to his lover, wrapping his arms protectively around Judal's thin waist. The teen buried his face in Sinbad's chest, soaking in the warmth of the body next to him. Both were glad to be near each other again, now closer than ever. Sinbad had missed the feeling of sharing a bed with the dark magi. The thought quickly made him realise that he never found out why Judal stopped coming.

"Why did you stop meeting me in the first place? What made you think that you were a toy to me?" Sinbad asked softly. He knew that the magi was a secretive and guarded his emotions, but the king needed to know what he had done wrong. He would never treat Judal like a toy; the teen was delicate and Sinbad would treat him carefully and lovingly.

"I saw you with Kyougoku and I thought that you got sick of me and that she was your new toy." Sinbad's mind quickly went through his memories, trying to figure out when the magi would have seen this. He remembered the victory celebration Sindria had held and that he had charmed the princess for future plans.

"I used her in case I ever need her help. You are the one I love and treasure and you were never a toy to me." Satisfied with the answer he received, the magi nuzzled further into the king's chest, letting out a hum of approval. Sinbad softly ran his fingers through ebony locks which made the magi relax further. Judal started falling asleep with his lover's soothing touch. Not long after, the king let sleep overtake, wondering when their next midnight meeting would be. However, for now, he would enjoy having his lover in his arms. 


End file.
